Miami Cosmetic Dermatologist

Tag Archives: winter skincare

Dry skin is not uncommon, especially during the winter when humidity levels drop. Cool, dry air accelerates dehydration and pulls water from the epidermis, making the outermost layer of your skin appear rough and flaky. Skin loses up to 25 percent of its moisture during the winter months, while a heavy wind chill adds further damage and pain.

Not only is dry skin itchy and uncomfortable – particularly with severe chapping – it can be embarrassing. When you suffer from dry facial skin, simply socializing is a difficult and sometimes painful task. However, you can prevent excessive dryness and treat chapped skin relatively easily with the following strategies:

Wear Protective Layers

Wearing winter clothing is designed to keep you warm, but also helps protect your skin from long-term damage. Beyond chapped skin and dehydration, dangerously cold temperatures can cause frostbite – a painful condition associated with permanent nerve damage, ongoing numbness, scarring or even lost extremities. Best case scenario, frostbite causes minimal tissue or muscle damage and a costly emergency room bill. Even if it’s not quite cold enough to get frostbite, protect your skin with long pants, sweaters, scarves, gloves, hats and proper footwear to avoid dryness.

Use a Humidifier

Cold weather isn’t the only villain from November through February. When the forecast falls below 50 degrees, staying snug with indoor heating is a go-to. But, indoor heat systems are extremely drying. Not only does your skin suffer, but you may experience chapped lips, nosebleeds or a sore throat. Opt for a lower indoor heat setting and keep blinds open to let natural sunlight help warm interiors instead. In addition, use a humidifier while you sleep to add moisture to the air in your home. Humidifiers relieve some of the most common winter ailments, such as cold symptoms, dry sinuses and dehydrated skin.

Moisturize Every Day

If you don’t already moisturize after bathing, winter is the time to start. Apply a heavy body lotion or cream all over your entire body. Go fragrance-free if you suffer from skin sensitivities, such as rosacea or body acne. For the face, neck and chest area, use an anti-aging heavy moisturizer that adds hydration and fights wrinkles. Body oils can also promote skin hydration, but shouldn’t be used on areas prone to breakouts or inflammation.

Drink More Water

Nutritionists and doctors recommend individuals drink at least 64-oz – or 8 glasses – of water per day. But, these general guidelines might not cut it during the winter. People who spend a lot of time outdoors or hit the gym frequently require even more water than the average sedentary or lightly active person. Up your H20 intake during the winter months by replacing sodas and juices with fresh, filtered water. Keep a water bottle handy and record your intake with a mobile app or handwritten journal each day. Alcohol causes further dehydration (along with a slew of other internal issues), so keep booze at a minimum when the thermostat drops.

Visit a Dermatologist

If you’re taking care of your skin in the winter yet dryness and skin pain persists, it’s time to call a dermatologist. Dr. Busso offers his patients topical treatments to help counteract winter dryness, including the renowned Obagi® Nu-Derm System. Obagi’s Hydrate cream soothes flaky, chapped skin while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles for a more youthful appearance. In addition, the Nu-Derm system treats redness, sallowness and hyperpigmentation. Clinical skincare products like the Nu-Derm system are stronger than drugstore alternatives, so you’re likely to see symptoms fade faster when you consult a qualified physician for dry skin treatments.

Dr. Busso can help you fight dryness while restoring your physical comfort and confidence. Schedule your consultation online or by phone at 305-857-0144.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression triggered by low serotonin levels and disturbed melatonin response. Because of minimal sunlight during the winter, patients with SAD undergo hormonal shifts that elicit feelings of seasonal depression, fatigue, hopelessness and confusion. Like chronic depression and anxiety, SAD can impact skin health and overall physical appearance.

Consider the following ways your skin is impacted by seasonal affective disorder:

Hygiene and Routine

Seasonal depression impacts your ability to properly care for yourself, particularly when it comes to regular bathing and self-care. Along with feeling lethargic, seasonal affective disorder tends to disrupt your daily routine. If you follow a stringent skincare regimen to combat acne, wrinkles or rosacea, you may feel less motivated to stick to your morning or nightly must-dos from early winter to mid-Spring. Even washing your face seems like an overwhelming task when fighting with your body to get out of bed in the morning. The trick is to force yourself into maintaining your healthy habits, including regular bathing, exfoliating, moisturizing, hydration and exercise. While emotionally and physically tiring, feeling good on the outside can trigger positive emotions on the inside. Allowing your hygiene and skincare to wane in the winter exacerbates feelings of hopelessness and fatigue.

Tanning Beds

While sporting a healthy glow during gloomy weather perks up your self-esteem, the impact of tanning beds is not worth the temporary results. Just 15 to 20 minutes in a tanning bed damages the epidermis and increases your risk of skin cancer. Artificial ultraviolet radiation is just as dangerous as a summertime burn. Per the Skin Cancer Foundation, one person dies from melanoma every 52 minutes. In addition, non-melanoma cases are more common than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined. In lieu of fake baking to fight seasonal affective disorder, opt for sunless creams and sprays instead. Sunless tanner achieves a healthy glow without damaging skin cells or increasing your risk of skin cancer. Check out Dr. Busso’s guide to applying self-tanner for a streak-free and natural-looking glow.

At Dr. Busso’s leading Miami cosmetic dermatology clinic, we help patients improve their skin health otherwise impacted by seasonal affective disorder. If you think you might have SAD and your skin is suffering in response, contact our office at 305-857-0144.

Brutally cold temperatures during the winter season are uncomfortable, but can often be dangerous when considering the higher risk of frostbite and hypothermia. The currently chilly temperatures throughout the northern parts of the nation are expected to dip further into the single-digits this week. With these brutally cold forecasts ahead, the public is advised to take extreme precautions when venturing outdoors for work, school, social events or exercise.

While covering bare skin with ample layers, thick gloves and wool hats minimizes your susceptibility to frostbite, consider the following early warning signs of frostbite in the order they typically manifest:

Pins and needles

Throbbing or aching

Numbness

Hard, pale or cold skin

White appearance

Tips for Treating Frostbite

If you’re experiencing all or a few of the above frostbite symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. Do not rub or massage the area as this can increase your risk of permanent skin damage and scarring. In addition, attempting to “thaw out” your skin could do more harm than good. If you cannot get to a warm area and frostbite returns, you could further injure the skin and nerves. Do not attempt to thaw skin with direct heat from a hair dryer, radiator, heating pad or fire. Introducing high levels of heat can further harm the delicate dermis. While healing, do not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes as these agents limit blood circulation and prevent proper recovery.

The best way to eliminate your susceptibility is by taking preemptive measures before spending more than a few minutes outdoors. In sub-zero temperatures, skin can freeze in just 15 minutes. Wear mittens or gloves, windproof and water resistant outerwear, thermal leggings or undershirts, two pairs of socks, scarves to protect your décolleté and hats to minimize heat loss via the scalp.

If you have experienced frostbite and suffer from scarring after healing, contact Dr. Mariano Busso’s office at 305-857-0144 or schedule an appointment online.

Winter weather is not just uncomfortable, it’s downright damaging. Your skin reacts to the elements. Just as you get a sunburn from failing to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the summertime, facing the cold without protection can damage skin. Most notably, cold weather lacks moisture – a necessary component of skin elasticity, wrinkle-prevention and overall comfort.

Follow these easy prevention tips to minimize winter skin damage:

Apply a Heavy Moisturizer

Hydrating your skin with topical creams is important regardless of what the thermostat says. But, if your routine is already lacking a moisturizing cream, prepare yourself for rough, flaky itchy skin until March. The outdoor air, heavy winds and indoor heating dehydrates your epidermis, allowing the outer layer to crack. You might even suffer from painful cuts and sores on your hands or feet during the winter due to excessive dryness. Using a heavy-duty moisturizer in the winter will continue your fight against fine lines and wrinkles while keeping skin smooth despite the dry air. For extra dry skin prevention, use a soap-free cleanser with a built-in moisturizer on both your face and body. Don’t forget about your lips and hair, either. Lip balm and petroleum jelly can keep the sensitive skin on your lips from chapping while hair oils and deep conditioning treatments fight frizz and breakage.

Cover Yourself

Say goodbye to midriff baring crop tops and your daisy dukes – at least for the next few months. It’s important to cover your skin entirely when the temperature drops. Bare skin is more susceptible to cold, dry air, so cover your arms and legs with long sleeve shirts and pants. Protect your hair and scalp with a scarf or hat. Clothing combined with your moisturizer provides a double barrier against the harsh winter weather.

Go Fragrance-Free

Individuals suffering with sensitive skin or rosacea can benefit from eliminating added fragrances to their beauty routine. Opt for all-natural soaps and body creams free of fragrance oils on sensitive skin through the cold winter months. Those without pre-existing skin conditions can still use their favorite smelling beauty products. But, minimize use at the first sign of irritation or redness. While these might hydrate your skin and leave you smelling fresh the rest of the year, your skin is particularly sensitive when temperatures are low.

Exfoliate

Regular exfoliation helps rid the skin surface of flakes, bumps and dullness caused by dead cells. Despite the dreary winter weather, you can still achieve a summer-like glow with regular exfoliation. Exfoderm is an Obagi Nu-Derm System product available at Dr. Busso’s office. This gentle exfoliator helps patients brighten their complexion while minimizing flakiness. For a more thorough exfoliation, consider a Miami microdermabrasion treatment. Microdermabrasion rejuvenates the skin by gently scrubbing the outer layer, leaving patients with a refreshed and radiant appearance.

We understand how winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin, and our goal is to help you look your best all year long. To schedule a microdermabrasion treatment in Miami or inquire about exfoliating products available at Dr. Busso’s office, contact us at 305-857-0144.

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